Get ready for 'Community' return in animated fashion

If you haven't had enough Christmas cartoons this holiday season, there's a new, holiday-themed animated short available on YouTube to promote the return of "Community" for its fifth season on Thursday.

The animated feature, "Miracle on Jeff's Street," clocks in at just under 2 minutes. It calls to mind the holiday-themed stop-motion animation episode from Season 2, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas."

In "Miracle on Jeff's Street," Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) is alone on the holidays and gets an unexpected visit from his Greendale Community College pals. After he gets a phone message from Abed (Danny Pudi), a sleigh comes crashing through Jeff's window manned by Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) dressed as Santa and Chang (Ken Jeong) as the reindeer. Pelton takes out a sack and pulls from it cartoon versions of Abed, Annie (Alison Brie), Britta (Gillian Jacobs), Troy (Donald Glover) and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown). Troy then begins vomiting a pile of gifts. The story then shifts to live-action, with Dean Pelton waking up in his bed with Chang next to him.

The short cleverly interjects a reminder that "Community" will return with a double episode on Thursday at 8 p.m. on NBC, followed by four weeks of single episodes and then a three-week hiatus for Olympics coverage.

The upcoming fifth season marks the return of show-runner Dan Harmon, who took a season-long break.

Glover also will be leaving the show after appearing in the first five episodes this season, according to rollingstone.com. He has an album in the works and has inked a deal to write, produce and star in a comedy pilot for FX.

In other developments, John Oliver will rejoin the cast as professor Ian Duncan, according to Hollywood Reporter. Oliver first took the role in the show's pilot and later landing a recurring spot during the first two seasons.

If the animated short is any indication, the show's quirky humor and likable characters will continue to bring smiles in 2014.